[أبوسيف]

The (typical) Activities of Ramadan
• Sahoor: Meal before dawn and the first
prayer of the day.
• Iftar: breaking of the fast at Sunset
(coincides with the 4th prayer).
• Ziarat: Social gatherings e.g. visiting
relatives, sharing food with neighbors,
friends, and the poor.
• Tarawih: Optional Prayers at early
night
• Qiraat: Reading of the Qur’ãn during
free time.
• Qiam: Optional late-night prayers in
the last 10 days.

Eid-ul-Fitr: Marking the End of Ramadan
The Eid-ul-Fitr Marks the end of the Month of Ramadan
Its activities include:
• Eid prayer in the early morning
• Visiting family, friends, neighbors, the sick, elderly etc
• Enjoying festive meals
• Modest gift-giving especially to children
Eid-ul-Fitr is also a time for generosity. Food is shared with those who can not afford it and many make donations to their local mosque
• Greeting: Eid Mubarak

Working with Muslim colleagues
1.
Before inviting Muslim colleagues, please ask if it OK to:
• Go to meetings which include lunch (usually it is OK)
• Stay for meetings extending after 5 p.m
• Participate in department parties during Ramadan
2.
Be understanding that it is the most special month in a Muslim’s calendar
3.
It is common to take vacation during the last week of Ramadan
4.
Eid/Biram Day is off, especially for those with family
5.
Greeting colleagues saying: “Ramadan Mubarak” is a very nice way to cross into a new culture
6.
If invited to share Iftar, try to make it… it will be fun!

Travel (to/from) and Working in Muslim Countries

• Holiday jams (to Muslim countries) begins about a week before end of Ramadan till 3 days after Eid.• It will be difficult to find seats out from Gulf area during 2nd half of Ramadan (people returning from Makkah)
• Traffic jams are common two hours before and after iftar … sometimes gridlocked traffic, e.g., Cairo & KL
• Restaurants are generally closed during daytime, although in tourist hotspots, some will continue to cater to foreigners
There is no law prohibiting non-Muslims to eat, drink or smoke during the day and most will not mind if you
do. On the other hand, they will respect you enormously when you show the courtesy not to do so, at least not in public
• Working hours in some companies end earlier during Ramadan; e.g. Companies in Brunei close after 1200; PDO at 13hrs, SENV at 1330 – Please plan accordingly!
• Eid Holiday: Eid is like Easter…. Muslim countries take 2-4 days off

Conclusions
• Ramadan is a month of fasting.
• Physical abstentions and intensification of acts of worship are a means towards attaining the spiritual objectives of self purification and improvement
• Essentially a month of training used to discipline/prepare oneself for the remainder of the year.
During the Month of Ramadan
• Be considerate of and supportive to the Muslims around you
Ramadan Mubarak TO ALL!